Floating yarn cutter mechanism



June 12, 1956 A. M. MOSER 2,749,731

FLOATING YARN CUTTER MECHANISM Filed Sept. 30, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 1FIG.

INVENTOR.

ARVEL M. MOSER 2L1 NW4 A TTORNEY June 12, 1956 A. M. MOSER FLOATING YARNCUTTER MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 30, 1953 FIG.3

FIG. 2

ATTORNEY Filed Sept. 30, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 F l G 4 r1 T L I H FIG. 5U 58 I] 5B 58 Fl G 6 Q l 5s 57 I W Fl G. 7

60 59 INVENTOR.

ARVEL M. MOSER BY $MJm Qz ATTORNEY nite States FLOATENG YARN CUTTERMECHANISM Arvei M. Moser, Mebane, N. C., assignor of one-fourth t BarnieP. Jones, Burlington, N. C.

The present invention relates to improvements in circular knittingmachines of the type commonly used to generate knitted stocking tubes orthe like.

Circular knitting machines to which the improvements of this inventionmay be applied are well known as may be shown for example in Patent1,148,055 to Scott, July 27, 1915, Patent 1,641,101 to Scott, August 30,1927, and Patent 2,516,697 to Haddad, July 25, 1950. As shown in theexampled patents, circular knitting machines generally comprise arevolving cylinder formed of a plurality of aligned knitting needleswhich are arranged to cooperate with other knitting needle mechanisms toknit a plurality of yarns into a tube of fabric extending inward fromthe mouth of the needle cylinder. in some forms of circular knittingmachines such as that shown in Patent 1,641,101 referred to above, anadditional set of knitting needles carried by a so-called revolving dialmechanism is rotatably positioned within the tube forming mouth of theneedle cylinder and operated to produce a ribbed formation on theknitted tube useful for ribbed top stockings. In still other forms ofcircular knitting machines such as that shown in Patent 2,516,697, theplurality of yarns of different colors forming the knit tube are somanipulated as to produce desirable pattern formations which are termedfloat patterns since the various pattern formations are interconnectedby floating yarns extending across the interior of the knit tube as itis delivered from the knitting machine. Before a knit tube having floatpatterns may be used for a stocking or the like, the floating yarnswithin the tube must be severed, and prior to this invention theseverance of the floating yarns was a hand operation.

It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to providean improved circular knitting machine of the float pattern type havingmeans to cut the floating yarns as they are formed so that the floatingyarns of the knit tube as delivered from the machine will be severed,thus simplifying the subsequent hand finishing procedures as may berequired to produce a knit stocking.

A feature of the invention is the provision of a rotating cutter head insubstitution for and in a position corresponding to the position of thepreviously known rotating dial head which, under the circumstances, isnot used when practicing the present invention. The rotating cutter headis provided with one or more cutting elements positioned to engage andsever the floating yarns in the mouth of the knit tube as they areformed.

In the more detailed aspects of the invention, each cutting element maycomprise a pair of cutting shear blades normally maintained in an openposition to pick up floating yarns as the cutter head is rotated, therebeing additional means to momentarily close the cutting bladesperiodically as the cutter head is rotated to thereby sever the floatingyarns.

Yet another feature of the invention is the provision of control meansthat may be selectably actuated to maintain the cutting blades in theclosed position during atent O rotation of the cutter head when theseverance of floating yarns is not desired, such as when the knitting ofa float pattern is completed.

Further objects, features and the attending advantages of the inventionwill be apparent with reference to the following specification anddrawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation partly broken away to showvarious details and arrangements of a well-known form of circularknitting machine to which the improvements of the present invention areapplied;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view transversely of the longitudinai axis of aknitted fabric tube having a float pattern incorporated therein andshowing the floated yarns to be cut by the apparatus of this invention;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed fragmentary cross-section of the knittingportions of a circular knitting machine and showing details of thefloating yarn cutting mechanism of the invention in the operativeposition as applied to the knitting machine;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the floating yarn cutter head;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the cutter head;

Fig. 6 is a cross-section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4 with the cuttingblades in the open position; and

Fig. 7 is a cross-section similar to Fig. 6 but with the cutting bladesin the closed positions.

The floating yarn cutting attachment of the invention will be describedin detail in connection with its application to a circular knittingmachine such as the #6 Scott & Williams Model HH spiral, although itshould be understood that the invention may be advantageously applied toany other generally known type of circular knitting machine. Inasmuch asthe general arrangement and the details of the Scott & Williams knittingmachines are well known, certain of the features being shown anddescribed in the aforementioned Scott Patents 1,148,055 and 1,641,101,the present specification will refer only to those details necessary foran understanding of the invention.

Referring first to Fig. 2 of the drawings, a knitted stocking tube 10 ofthe float pattern type is shown to have a plurality of floating yarns 11-14 extending across the interior of the tube and interconnectingdifferent floated pattern portions of the knit fabric tube. The mannerof producing the floated patterns resulting in the floating yarns 1114does not form a part of this invention but reference may be made toPatent 2,516,697 to Haddad issued July 25, 1950, for a description ofone arrangement of circular knitting machines designed to knit floatedpatterns. It is the floating yarns 1114 that are severed by theapparatus of this invention substantially as soon as they are formed inthe knitted tube when passing through the machine.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, various portions of acircular knitting machine are shown such as the cylinder 30 of knittingneedles 31, which cylinder is rotatably mounted for revolution about avertical axis. The lower drive shaft 32 is connected to be rotated froma source of power (not shown) and through the medium of bevel gears 33and 34 transmits rotation to the needle cylinder 30. A verticallyextending shaft 35' also interconnects the upper drive shaft 36 and thelower drive shaft 32 through the medium of bevel gears 37-40.

The upper drive shaft 36 is journalled in a frame member 41 that alsoprovides a journal support at 42 for a vertically depending drive shaft43 driven by bevel gears 44, 45 from the upper drive shaft 36. In someof the circular knitting machines of the prior art, the depending driveshaft is arranged to rotatably support a so-called dial of knittingneedles such as has been shown in the Scott Patent 1,641,101,aforementioned, for the purpose of producing a rib formation. Accordingto my invention, when making knitted tubes having floated patternswithout ribbing, the dial is replaced with the floating yarn cuttingattachment generally shown at 50, which is rotated by the shaft 43 and,under circumstances to be described, will pick up and sever the floatingyarns as they are formed in the knit tube passing into the throat of theknitting needle cylinder 3%.

The frame member 41 is pivoted at the hinge point 46 to permit it to beraised from the resting block support 47 and thereby withdraw thecutting assembly from the throat of the needle cylinder 30 when desired.When the frame member 41 is raised, the bevel gear 37 is lifted out ofengagement with the bevel gear 38; and the control arms such as shown at4-3 and 4a are also separated from their respective operating push rods51, S2. The push rods 51, 52 are operated by suitable cams on the maincontrol drum 53. The control arms 43 and 4) will later be referred to inmore detail.

Referring now to Figs. 4-7 of the drawings, the details of the floatingyarn cutting assembly 59 will now be described. The cutter head 55 ispreferably a circular body having a generally cone-shaped cross-sectionand is provided with an axial bore 56 arranged to receive an end of thevertically depending shaft 43. A plurality of cutting elements or cutterblade assemblies, each of which preferably may be comprised of an uppercutting blade 57 and a lower cutting blade 58, are pivotally mounted at59 to form pairs of cutting shears which are radially positioned in thecutter head 55. Each of the lower'cutter blades 53 is normally urgeddownward out of the cutter head 55 by the action of a compression spring59 and plunger 60.

A pressure plate 61 is slidably mounted on pins 62 and 62a and engageseach inner end 63 of the lower cutter blade 58 so that when the plate 61is moved towards the cutter head 55 (as shown in Fig. 7 of thedrawings), each lower cutting blade 58 is moved against the force ofspring 59 to a position within the cutter body 55, thus preventing anyfloating yarns from being picked up to be severed as will be laterdescribed.

Each of the upper cutter blades 57 is normally positioned within thebody of the cutter head 55 in response to the force of the tensionspring 64. It will be noted that the upper surface of the cylindricalcutter head is provided with a circumferential groove 65 through anaperture of which each upstanding end 66 of the upper cutting blade 57is projected. It should be apparent that a downward force on eachprojecting end 66 of the upper cutting blade 57 will move the bladeagainst the force of the tension spring 64 out of the body of the cutterhead 55 and towards the respective lower blade 58 in a shear ing actionto cut any floating yarn threads that may have been picked up on therespective lower cutting blade.

Referring again to Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, it will be seen thatthe body of the cutter head 55 is keyed at '70 to the end of the shaft43 for rotation therewith. The yoke 71 of the control arm 48 engages theupper surface of the pressure plate 61 by means of the connecting member72 which is arranged to permit free rotation of the cutter head 55 andpressure plate 61 without corresponding rotation of the yoke 71. Whenthe push rod 51 is actuated by suitable cams on the control drum 53 (notshown) the control arm 48 will be pivoted counterclockwise about thepivot 73 to cause the yoke 71 and connect ing member 72 to move thepressure plate 61 downward to a position to withdraw each lower cutterblade 58 into the cutter head as shown in Fig. 7, thus making the cutterhead ineffective at times that floating yarns are not to be picked upand severed.

However, when the push rod 51 is not actuated, each lower cutter blade58 is projecting out of the cutter head as shown in Fig. 3 in a mannerto pick up the floating yarns as they are formed in the knit tube. Itwill be noted that the shaft 43 is enclosed in a stationary sleeveportion 41a of the support member 41 and that additional stationarysupporting framework 74 is secured thereto. Mounted on the stationaryframework 74 is a springpressed earn follower member 75, the lower endof which engages the upper end 66 of each upper cutting blade 57 passingthereby as the cutter head 55 is rotated. The control arm 49 normallyengages the upper end of the cam follower 75 responsive to the tensionof the spring 76 to urge the cam follower downward so that each uppercutting blade 57, in passing the cam follower 75, is caused to movetowards the respective lower cutter blade 58 and sever any floatingyarns picked up on the lower cutting blade. Actuation of the push rod 52by suitable cams on the control drum 53 will rotate the control arm 49in a clockwise direction against the tension of spring 76 to allow thecam follower 75 to move upward responsive to the force of compressionspring 77. With the cam follower raised in such manner, each uppercutter blade 57 will not be engaged and moved downward in passing sothat the shearing movements of the cutting blades can be prevented andcontrolled as desired.

It should be apparent that the exact positioning of the cutter head 55within the throat of the cylinder 30 of knitting needles will be bestdetermined to allow each extended lower cutting blade 58 to pick up thefloating yarns to be severed as they are formed and that the positionshown in the drawings is illustrative only. Furthermore, while fourpairs of radially positioned cutting blades are specifically shown, itshould be understood that the invention is operative with one or morecutting elements of any suitable shape and form that are eflective topick up and sever the floating yarns as they are produced duringrotation of the cutter head and needle cylinder.

Various modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention andthe scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a circular knitting machine of the type having a revolving needlecylinder arranged to generate a knitted tube of fabric extending inwardfrom the mouth of the needle cylinder, the knitted tube being generatedfrom a plurality of yarns in a predetermined float pattern with floatingyarns extending within the knitted tube and interconnecting variousfloat pattern portions, 21 floating yarn cutter mechanism including incombination, a cutter head, means to rotatably support said cutter headin the mouth of the needle cylinder adjacent the area of formation ofthe knitted tube, means to rotate said cuttter head as said needlecylinder is revolved, cutting means carried by said cutter head inproximity to the floating yarns formed in the knitted tube, and meansfor actuating said cutting means whereby the floating yarns are severedas said cutter head is rotated.

2. In a circular knitting machine of the type having a revolving needlecylinder arranged to generate a knitted tube of fabric extending inwardfrom the mouth of the needle cylinder, the knitted tube being generatedfrom a plurality of yarns in a predetermined float pattern with floatingyarns extending within the knitted tube and interconnecting variousfloat pattern portions, a floating yarn cutter mechanism including incombination, a circular cutter head, means to rotatably support saidcircular cutter head in the mouth of the needle cylinder adjacent thearea of formation of the knitted tube with its axis of rotation insubstantial alignment with the axis of revolution of the needlecylinder, means to rotate said cutter head as said needle cylinder isrevolved, cutting means carried by said cutter head and radiallyextending in proximity to the floating yarns formed in the knitted tube,and means for actuating said cutting means whereby the floating yarnsare severed as said cutter head is rotated.

3. In a circular knitting machine of the type having a revolving needlecylinder arranged to generate a knitted tube of fabric extending inwardfrom the mouth of the needle cylinder, the knitted tube being generatedfrom a plurality of yarns in a predetermined float pattern with floatingyarns extending within the knitted tube and interconnecting variousfloat pattern portions, a floating yarn cutter mechanism including incombination, a cutter head, means to rotatably support said cutter headin the mouth of the needle cylinder adjacent the area of formation ofthe knitted tube, means to rotate said cutter head as said needlecylinder is revolved, at least one pair of cutting shear blades carriedby said cutter head in proximity to the floating yarns formed in theknitted tube, means to normally maintain each of said pair of shearblades in an open position during rotation of said cutter head, andmeans to momentarily close each of said pair of shear bladesperiodically during rotation of said cutter head whereby the floatingyarns are picked up and severed as said cutter head is rotated.

4. In a circular knitting machine of the type having a re volving needlecylinder arranged to generate a knitted tube of fabric extending inwardfrom the mouth of the needle cylinder, the knitted tube being generatedfrom a plurality of yarns in a predetermined float pattern with floatingyarns extending within the knitted tube and interconnecting variousfloat pattern portions, a floating yarn cutter mechanism including incombination, a circular cutter head, means to rotatably support saidcircular cutter head in the mouth of the needle cylinder adjacent thearea of formation of the knitted tube with its axis of rotation insubstantial alignment with the axis of revolution of the needlecylinder, means to rotate said cutter head as said needle cylinder isrevolved, at least one pair of cutting shear blades carried by saidcutter head in proximity to the floating yarns formed in the knittedtube, means to normally maintain each of said pair of shear blades in anopen position during rotation of said cutter head, and means tomomentarily close each of said pair of shear blades periodically duringrotation of said cutter head whereby the floating yarns are picked upand severed as said cutter head is rotated.

5. In a circular knitting machine of the type having a revolving needlecylinder arranged to generate a knitted tube of fabric extending inwardfrom the mouth of the needle cylinder, the knitted tube being generatedfrom a plurality of yarns in a predetermined float pattern with floatingyarns extending within the knitted tube and interconnecting variousfloat pattern portions, a floating yarn cutter mechanism including incombination, a cutter head, means to rotatably support said cutter headin the mouth of the needle cylinder adjacent the area of information ofthe knitted tube, means to rotate said cutter head as said needlecylinder is revolved, at least one pair of cutting shears carried bysaid cutter head and radially extending in proximity to the floatingyarns formed in the knitted tube, each of said pairs of cutting shearscomprising a lower blade and an upper blade, means to normally maintainsaid lower blade in a position extending outward of the cutter head in amanner to pick up floating yarns as said cutter head is rotated, meansto normally maintain said upper blade in a position substantially withinthe cutter head to thus maintain each pair of cutting shear blades in anopen position as the cutter head is rotated, and means to momentarilymove said upper blade towards said lower blade periodically as saidcutter head is rotated to thereby periodically close each of said pairsof cutting shear blades whereby said floating yarns picked up on thelower blades of each of said pairs of cutting shear blades are severed.

6. In a circular knitting machine of the type having a revolving needlecylinder arranged to generate a knitted tube of fabric extending inwardfrom the mouth of the needle cylinder, the knitted tube being generatedfrom a plurality of yarns in a predetermined float pattern with floatingyarns extending within the knitted tube and interconnecting variousfloat pattern portions, a floating yarn cutter mechanism including incombination, a circular cutter head, means to rotatably support saidcircular cutter head in the mouth of the needle cylinder adjacent thearea of formation of the knitted tube with its axis of rotation insubstantial alignment with the axis of revolution of the needlecylinder, means to rotate said cutter head as said needle cylinder isrevolved, at least one pair of cutting shears carried by said cutterhead and radially extending in proximity to the floating yarns formed inthe knitted tube, each of said pairs of cutting shears comprising alower blade and an upper blade, means to normally maintain said lowerblade in a position extending outward of the cutter head in a manner topick up floating yarns as said cutter head is rotated, means to normallymaintain said upper blade in a position substantially within the cutterhead to thus maintain each pair of cutting shear blades in an openposition as the cutter head is rotated, and means to momentarily movesaid upper blade towards said lower blade periodically as said cutterhead is rotated to thereby periodically close each of said pairs ofcutting shear blades whereby said floating yarns picked up on the lowerblades of each of said pairs of cutting shear blades are severed.

7. In a circular knitting machine of the type having a revolving needlecylinder arranged to generate a knitted tube of fabric extending inwardfrom the mouth of the needle cylinder, the knitted tube being generatedfrom a plurality of yarns in a predetermined float pattern with floatingyarns extending within the knitted tube and interconnecting variousfloat pattern portions, a floating yarn cutter mechanism including incombination, a cutter head, means to rotatably support said cutter headin the mouth of the needle cylinder adjacent the area of formation ofthe knitted tube, means to rotate said cutter head as said needlecylinder is revolved, at least one pair of cutting shears carried bysaid cutter head and radially extending in proximity to the floatingyarns formed in the knitted tube, each of said pairs of cutting shearscomprising a lower blade and an upper blade, means to normally maintainsaid lower blade in a position extending outward of the cutter head in amanner to pick up floating yarns as said cutter head is rotated, meansto normally maintain said upper blade in a position substantially withinthe cutter head to thus maintain each pair of cutting shear blades in anopen position as the cutter head is rotated, means to momentarily movesaid upper blade towards said lower blade periodically as said cutterhead is rotated to thereby periodically close each of said pairs ofcutting shear blades whereby said floating yarns picked up on the lowerblades of each of said pairs of cutting shear blades are severed, andcontrol means selectively actuated to move said lower blade towards saidupper blade to be maintained in a position within the cutter head duringrotation of said cutter head when the picking up and severing offloating yarns is not required while said control means is actuated.

8. In a circular knitting machine of the type having a revolving needlecylinder arranged to generate a knitted tube of fabric extending inwardfrom the mouth of the needle cylinder, the knitted tube being generatedfrom a plurality of yarns in a predetermined float pattern with floatingyarns extending within the knitted tube and interconnecting variousfloat pattern portions, a floating yarn cutter mechanism including incombination, a circular cutter head, means to rotatably support saidcircular cutter head in the mouth of the needle cylinder adjacent thearea of formation of the knitted tube with its axis of rotation insubstantial alignment with the axis of revolution of the needlecylinder, means to rotate said cutter head as said needle cylinder isrevolved, at least one pair of cutting shears carried by said cutterhead and radially extending in proximity to the floating yarns formed inthe knitted tube, each of said pairs of cutting shears comprising alower blade and an upper blade, means to normally maintain said lowerblade in a position extending outward of the cutter head in a manner topick up floating yarns as said cutter head is rotated,

means to normally maintain said upper blade in a position substantiallywithin the cutter head to thus maintain each pair of cutting shearblades in an open position as the cutter head is rotated, means tomomentarily move said upper blade towards said lower blade periodicallyas said cutter head is rotated to thereby periodically close each ofsaid pairs of cutting shear blades whereby said floating yarns picked upon the lower blades of each of said pairs of cutting shear blades aresevered, and control means selectably actuated to move said lower bladetowards said upper blade to be maintained in a position within thecutter head during rotation of said cutter head when the picking up andsevering of floating yarns is not required While said control means isactuated.

9. In a circular knitting machine of the type having a revolving needlecylinder arranged to generate a knitted tube of fabric extending inwardfrom the mouth of the needle cylinder, the knitted tube being generatedfrom a plurality of yarns in a predetermined float pattern with floatingyarns extending within the knitted tube and interconnecting variousfloat pattern portions, a floating yarn cutter mechanism including incombination, a cutter head, means to rotatably support said cutter headin the mouth of the needle cylinder adjacent the area of formation ofthe knitted tube, means to rotate said cutter head as said needlecylinder is revolved, at least one pair of cutting shear blades carriedby said cutter head in proximity to the floating yarns formed in theknitted tube, means to normally maintain each of said pair of shearblades in an open position during rotation of said cutter head, means tomomentarily close each of said pair of shear blades periodically duringrotation of said cutter head whereby the floating yarns are picked upand severed as said cutter head is rotated, and control means selectablyactuated to close each of said pair of shear blades 8 and maintainclosed said shear blades during revolution of said cutter head when thecutting of floating yarns is not required while said control means isactuated.

10. In a circular knitting machine of the type having a revolving needlecylinder arranged to generate a knitted tube of fabric extending inwardfrom the mouth of the needle cylinder, the knitted tube being generatedfrom a plurality of yarns in a predetermined float pattern with floatingyarns extending within the knitted tube and interconnecting variousfloat pattern portions, a floating yarn cutter mechanism including incombination, a circular cutter head, means to rotatably support saidcircular cutter head in the mouth of the needle cylinder adjacent thearea of formation of the knitted tube with its axis of rotation insubstantial alignment with the axis of revolution of the needlecylinder, means to rotate said cutter head as said needle cylinder isrevolved, at least one pair of cutting shear blades carried by saidcutter head in proximity to the floating yarns formed in the knittedtube, means to normally maintain each of said pair of shear blades in anopen position during rotation of said cutter head, means to momentarilyclose each of said pair of shear blades periodically during rotation ofsaid cutter head whereby the floating yarns are picked up and severed assaid cutter head is rotated, and control means selectably actuated toclose each of said pair of shear blades and maintain closed said shearblades during revolution of said cutter head when the cutting offloating yarns is not required while said control means is actuated.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS445,423 Cahill Jan. 27, 1891

